Ugh... RICO!  I have to admit I do not do any criminal work and I do not fully understand RICO.  One of my first cases was a civil case involving a dispute among business partners.  I inherited the case from another attorney who filed the complaint and he included RICO violations.  I tried and tried to understand it, but I could not figure out how RICO applied at all.

At a pre-trial conference, I told the judge and opposing counsel that I was dropping the RICO count "because frankly, I do not understand it."  The judge smiled and said, "that is good, because I don't get it either." 

That afternoon, opposing counsel and I were able to agree on a rough outline for a really good settlement.  I think dismissing that claim showed them that I was reasonable and it helped with the settlement negotiations.

That was my first, and hopefully last, experience with RICO!

Best,
Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE